


The Lies That Bind

by Queroze



Series: Family ties [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Anxious Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Multi, Other, POV Alternating, Sanders Sides - Freeform, Unsympathetic Deceit Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-10-28 12:30:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20778617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queroze/pseuds/Queroze
Summary: A venture to the kitchen turns out to be something much more.Virgil is trapped. Patton tries to help.





	1. The First Hello

Virgil pulled his bedroom door closed; turning the knob to make sure it was locked. He didn’t want anyone to get into his space while he was venturing out. He pulled his hood up, stuffed his keys and hands into the pockets of his hoodie, and walked slowly, deliberately down the hallway.

“Just a couple of snacks, then I’ll head back.” he muttered to himself as a way of a pep talk.

He plodded to the kitchen, socked feet making no noise on the linoleum. He stuck his head deep into the fridge.

A ding came from the oven, startling him. Then he heard feet excitedly running from another room.

“Hi Virgil! I’m making cookies would you like a couple?” Patton greeted him from behind the fridge door. Virgil closed the door carefully, a hand full of string cheese.

He looked up from under his purple bangs, “Sure. Cookies would be nice.” He muttered quietly.

Patton had already taken the pan out of the oven. The cookies were the size of a splayed hand, nearly a half a foot from end to end.

“Patton, I think I am ok with just one…” Virgil picked one up, its heft from the chocolate chips surprising.

“Take a few, I know how you like to squirrel things away!” Patton heaped a pyramid of huge cookies on a thin paper plate for Virgil to take. The top one teetered, then fell and broke in half on the counter.

“I guess that’s the way the cookie crumbles!” Virgil shook his head at the stale humor.

Virgil picked up one of the halves of broken cookie, and bit into it.

“Thanks pop-tart” he tested the nick name hesitantly.

Patton beamed at him. Virgil turned away to let Patton finish his baking project. He headed toward the door to the living room putting one of the huge cookies in his mouth.

As he entered the room he saw Roman in flurry of movement. He seemed to be trying to work out some choreography routine scene that was blearing on the TV. It was either a fight or a dance. Virgil couldn’t tell which. Roman was moving this way and that, arms flailing. He suddenly started to move backward quickly toward Virgil. With a mouth full of cookie Virgil tried to grumble out a warning. But Roman bumped hard into Virgil before either could prevent it.

“Oh! Hi Virgil! Sorry about that! I didn’t see you there!” Roman turned around to face Virgil. Then his eyes went to the mound of cookies on the paper plate that was bending under the weight. “Ooo what are those!?” Roman’s eyes moved slowly to the half a cookie sticking out of Virgil’s mouth.

Taking the cookie from his mouth he started to say “Cookies. Patton…..” Virgil couldn’t even finish his sentence before Roman had climbed over the couch and made a dash to the kitchen.

Virgil took a deep breath and then chuckled to himself. “That was close…”he mumbled to himself as he shook his head. He shuffled back down the hallway. He stuffed the string cheese into his right pocket, put the half eaten cookie back into his mouth, and took out his keys from deep in his left pocket.

Logan’s door opened then, making Virgil freeze in place. Logan came out of his room, book in front of his face.

“Hello Virgil.”

Juggling the cookie out of his mouth once again, he replied. “Hey Logan” Virgil nonchalantly put his keys back into his pocket.

“Cookies?” Logan asked hopefully

“Yep.” Virgil answered.

“Satisfactory.” Logan’s pace quickened toward the kitchen.

Once Logan was out of sight Virgil let out the breath he had been holding. He put the key into the lock and unlocked his bedroom door. Pushing the door open, he quickly slipped in. he pressed his back into the door to close it from the inside. Locking it with his free hand, he straightened out his posture.

“I was the most worried about Logan. He can name me the easiest. But he didn’t even notice.” Virgil leaning with his back still on the door looked across the room. There was another Virgil tied to a wooden chair staring back at him.

“I mean Patton would have been trouble too. But Logan is always free with….” The Virgil against the door waved his hand smoothly, as if to pluck the right word out of the air. “Accusations.” The Virgil bound in the chair shook his head, and struggled against his bonds. The sick yellow bonds were a cross between silk ropes and duct tape. Minuscule cursive words were etched into them.

The Virgil against the door slid out of his form.

Deceit now was the leaning against the door.

“Nobody suspected a thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watch out for that ending! It's a doozy!


	2. The plot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the story begins in earnest.

“Nobody suspected a thing” Deceit’s voice was seductive.

_What do I do?_ Virgil thought, panicked. The tethers were too strong to break out of. Deceit had been layering them one by one until they were thickly holding him.

Virgil had been sure that this test wasn’t going to be successful. A walk down to the kitchen and back, he thought for sure that someone would have noticed.

_Noticed that it wasn’t me_.

He watched Deceit dump a heaping paper plate of huge cookies in the trash bin. The form Deceit had taken when he turned into Virgil had been a perfect replica. Nary a stitch out of place. Virgil shook his head trying to clear the creeping thoughts from invading his mind.

_They didn’t notice._

“Why are you doing this?” Virgil resisted against the restraints, as if the question would weaken them.

“This is something I should have done in the first place,” Deceit stretched his arms above his head “Impersonating you _is so hard_. It _certainly isn’t easier_ then being Patton, and posing as Logan had been a _complete success_.” the sarcasm dripping from his words.

Deceit fixed his eyes on Virgil, “But you! Thomas hates lying because it hurts his friends. And you care about his friends. They make you….” Deceit sniffed with disgust, “Mellow. I’m sure if you take the anxious feeling away, Thomas will continue his life of honesty.” Deceit adjusted his left glove. “Goodness knows Roman and Logan would _never_ get behind looking out for number one, for once. And with the three of us against Patton…well…” Deceit ambled surreptitiously toward Virgil, bending over and putting one gloved hand on the arm of the rickety wooden chair. “**He doesn’t even stand a chance.”**

A snake like binding slipped into place around Virgil’s ankles. Virgil as the embodiment of fight or flight was ready to brawl with the entity in front of him.

_If only I could get out of these bonds._

“YOU LEAVE PATTON ALONE!” Virgil growled with malice, his voice reverberating around the room.

“Oh! We mustn’t have this.” Deceit glided behind Virgil. He leaned over, breath hot on Virgil’s neck as he whispered his 3rd most powerful lie. “**Nobody will listen to you.**”

With a snap a new binding went over Virgil’s mouth, cutting off his previous rumble. With no option left to him, Virgil watched Deceit desperately, his eyes pleading.

“I’ll be able to keep up the façade for _as long as I would like_ without it becoming… stressful.” Deceit continued as if nothing happened. He peered down to the weakened aspect “I may have to hole myself away for a week or two, while I_ don’t _adapt. But it isn’t like you have ever actually done that.”

Virgil shook his head uselessly. Of course he had done that.

_Does that_.

Deceit was playing the long game, and Virgil’s very habits would make it easier.

“Then once I am able to hold your form indefinitely, **I’ll surely need to keep you around**.” Another band, this time around cinching his waist to the chair snapped tight.

“I will surely _not_ acclimatize Logan and Roman to lying. _Defiantly not_ small at first, just little white lies. Patton will _not_ be upset of course. With his best pal in agreement…” Deceit’s face twisted into a mockery of Patton’s. “How can he possibly go against us?”

_No…_

Deceit walked around the wooden chair that Virgil was trembling in. Talking to more to himself than to Virgil, “You’ll be moved soon obviously. With your form, I’ll have to take your place completely.” He mused to himself, “I’ll have them convinced to schedule times for videos. Say something about being less worried about things that are planned…” a look of concern flitted around Deceit’s features for the first time.

“That way no…” Deceit grabbed his chest “unexpected summoning.”

As if on cue Virgil felt a tug in his own chest.

_If Thomas pulls hard enough can I get out?_

His eyes looked wildly up toward the ceiling, the consciousness of Thomas beyond. He could feel the summoning, gentle, but still calling.

Back in front of Virgil, Deceit clapped his hands together, his face back to the mask of confidence, “Perfect timing! Its happening isn’t it?” Deceit shrugged in on to himself and into Virgil’s form. “Hunching like this will _not_ give me a back ache.” He nearly sang: “But it will be worth it.”

And with that Deceit in the form of Virgil popped out of the room.

Alone the real Virgil felt the tug stop.

_Because I’m up there already. No need to keep knocking._

Virgil tried more in earnest to free himself, working to loosen the bonds with his torso. His wooden chair started to teeter with his efforts.

_If only Thomas had pulled me more forcefully, if only Thomas would come looking for me…like he did before…_

No, this wasn’t like when he ducked out last time, him being completely absent. Its true Thomas may become more reckless, may care less…

_May become more susceptible to Deceit_.

But with something that looked like Virgil in his place, they wouldn’t think to look deeper in his direction.

_It is a damn good plan._

_How do I stop it?_


	3. The Ruse

Patton watched happily as Logan and Roman verbally spared back and forth. He was happy. Happy they were all together again. He adored when they made videos. Even if he didn’t participate much he thoroughly enjoyed it. He currently felt lost in what Logan and Roman were talking about. He had lost the thread of the conversation about 5 minutes ago, and couldn’t seem to find his way back. _How are they feeling_? He had watched their faces. They seemed invested, but not upset. Nodding to himself he did what he often did when he was drowning in words. He watched Virgil.

He treasured watching Virgil’s face when he thought he wasn’t being looked at. He often said more with his expressions then he ever did in words. And this reached into Patton in a way verbal jiu jitsu often failed. Patton giggled to himself, _it was like Virgil was translating for Patton_,_ and he didn’t even know it!_ And Virgil never seemed to get lost in all the talk. He vigilantly paid attention to everything that was said. So Patton could often find his way back into the conversation with some of the snarky expressions he caught out of the corner of his eye.

He peered out of the side of his glasses. Virgil had a face that was half disgust, half scoff, half boredom.

_Too many halves! _Patton thought amused. He had seen this face of Virgil’s often. As the conversation continued it would change to react to something someone said. Patton waited. And waited. He tried to concentrate on a snippet of something Roman was saying.

“…and that’s why we need to be brave! We need to get out there and…” Patton lost the trail again. Something about something about something. He checked Virgil.

Still contempt, disgust, and boredom.

Patton furrowed his eyebrows. Surly something like that would have elicited something from Virgil. He tried to tune in again this time Logan was talking “it is necessary to approach this issue with the utmost preparation…” so many words. Patton sent a fleeting look to Virgil.

Same face. Not a single movement. Wait…it’s shifting! He looked like he was about to speak.

“You have a point there Logan; if we plan we can…” Patton could have cried. It was happening. He was getting left behind. Not even Virgil, the next most emotional side, seemed to help. He glanced again at Virgil. He had stopped talking. And he had the same resting face as before. _Contempt, disgust, boredom._

_Contempt._

_Disgust._

_Boredom._

_Deceit! _Just as the thought had popped into his mind, it had almost popped out of his mouth. He quickly clasped two hands over his mouth, to stop the thought from escaping. His brain to mouth filter had never been very good. The other three looked at him inquisitively.

“Sorry! Just…” he hated lying. “Stopping a thought coming straight out of my head!” he finished cheerfully.

“As if any of our thoughts could be straight!” Roman’s joke was nearly a reflex at this point.

Logan shook his head, Roman flourished back into the point he had been making before Patton’s outburst. And Virgil…

_Still had the everlasting gobstopper face._

Maybe it was Deceit. He wasn’t sure. What if he was wrong and accused of Virgil being Deceit? Then his poor friend would take offence. He had distanced himself from _the Others_. The dark sides… he had worked so hard to grow, improve and become a better version of himself. If Patton called Virgil out wrongly, he may lose all that progress. _Not to mention our friendship. _And he wasn’t sure. Roman and Logan didn’t seem to detect anything wrong. Logan was so good at pointing out falsehoods; surely he would sniff out Deceit quickly.

No. Patton would wait. He would watch Virgil carefully, and if he was super duper sure, only then he would say something.


	4. The success

Deceit popped back into the Virgil’s room.

“That was _not_ an amazing success!” he proclaimed, and he slithered back into his own form. Excitedly readjusting his hat he continued. “We are _not_ planning videos from now on, starting with tomorrow’s!” Tugging on the ends of his gloves he finished “It’s _not_ because of widddle anxious Virgil.” Deceit sneered. Then he took a good look around the room for the first time.

Virgil’s room was usually warmly dark and a little cluttered. Posters all over the walls, soft clothing and blankets not quite put away. Messy, but welcoming. But the vibe of it had been tainted. The room had a harsh blackness to it. There was a semi dense dark grey fog clinging to the air. The single small lamp nearest to the door seemed to struggle to keep the gloomy aura at bay.

“Oh Virgil! I _love_ what you have done to the place. It reminds me of the _good_ old times.” Deceit noticed that Virgil’s posture had changed too. Deceit was careful making his way toward the chair where Virgil sat slumped. Rather than fighting against the bindings, he hung his head deeply, his chin touching his chest, his hair covering his face completely. His body seemed to have shrunk into itself. The dark fog almost seemed to be coming from him, trickling out of his very essence.

Deceit looked at Virgil closely, his eyes narrow. Did Virgil have a plan, or had he given up already?

Deceit had anticipated Virgil would regress back to his former self Anxiety. He had been counting on it, in fact. Virgil’s new complexities since being accepted by the other sides would have made controlling the situation more difficult. 

He had been prepared to deal with a violently upset Anxiety. It had gone so well with Thomas and the rest of the sides, that surly he would have to work harder to handle Anxiety. But this seemed to not be the case.

Maybe the plan with Anxiety was accelerating as well? His plan had been to allow the Side to work himself into a frenzy until he had tired himself out, and thus become weaker. He was all too aware of the strength of Anxiety.

Deceit bent down and tried to look into the eyes of Anxiety. His eyes were screwed closed. Tear tracks streamed thru the thick black under-eye makeup, stopping only at where the tape-like lie covered his mouth.

“Anxiety?” Deceit whispered to himself. The Side seemed to flinch at the name.

Maybe Deceit didn’t have to stay and keep an eye on Anxiety for as long as he anticipated. Between taking another’s form and having to stay in this dismal place, he wouldn’t have gotten any rest. That would put a slow down on his plan. No, it looks like the new and improved Virgil had already broken back into his old self, Anxiety. Tomorrow, after the video, Deceit would move him deep into the subconscious where Deceit usually called home.

“Well this all is going swimmingly!” Deceit clapped his hands as he stood tall in front of Virgil. “I will be by just after the video tomorrow, and we will have a little field trip _if you are good_.” Turning off the single lamp, “Ta-Ta!” and Deceit popped away to rest his weary form.


	5. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Negative self talk, blood and tentacles.
> 
> Be safe out there!

_It is a damn good plan._

_How do I stop it?_

When Deceit left for the first video with the other Sides Virgil had been livid. Virgil had spent the first 10 minutes of Deceit’s departure angrily struggling against his restraints. The chair underneath him had creaked against Virgil’s strength as he had attempted to break thru the bindings. Pulling against the ropes that held him had proved fruitless. Deceit had done his work well. Next was distress.

_Deceit is going to hurt them. Deceit is going to seek success, at all cost and succeed in doing so. Roman, Logan and Patton won’t even notice it isn’t me. Thomas will become reckless, and hurt himself. Thomas would alienate his friends, and then be alone. Thomas will be alone for the rest of his life. Deceit is going to hurt them Deceit is going to seek success…._

And on and on his thoughts spun.

He finally had been able to stop himself short with the thought, _“What would Logan say?”_

_Take the problem logically of course._

First he was trapped.

Second, nobody would be looking for him if Deceit could trick the others.

Third he knew Deceit was posing as himself

Therefore he would have to tell the others.

But first he was trapped.

He spun around this new logical nightmare a few times, until he stopped himself again. 

_What would Roman suggest?_

Be brave! Be daring! Take a risk!

He shuttered at the thought. What risk could he do anyway? There wasn’t anything he could do from where he was. He couldn’t sink, pop, or move in anyway. He sighed. Patton would probably say something like:

“Kiddo! You can do anything you put your mind to!”

He chuckled sourly at the mental image of Patton in his head, ever so encouraging. But he sat with that thought for a long moment.

_I can do anything I put my mind to. _

_I’ve never put my mind to much. _

Virgil had often commented how he hated to work hard making Thomas anxious, and that was true. But not out of some sense of laziness or apathy. No. It was because if he worked at it, he was VERY good at it. And therefore become very powerful.

Then an idea occurred to him.

_So powerful I could reach where I shouldn’t be able to._

If he worked himself up enough he would be able to force the essence of himself far beyond these mental walls. And perhaps reach Thomas’s consciousness and his friends.

He finally had a plan. He had to time it carefully, and not indulge in the darker thoughts until it was the right time, else he would give the game up too early. Once Deceit was up with the others again, he would unleash everything he had, every panic, torturous, upsetting feeling. And with the fake him up _there _oblivious, the others would know to unmask him.

_But it will hurt._

Yeah. It will. And it will probably hurt him, if he survived, for a long time. His family may even…

_Hate him. Be afraid of him._

Yeah. That too, but Thomas was worth it. Thomas needed a support system of his friends, and Deceit was going to work to tear that down.

_I’ll change, I won’t be the same after. I’ll have tasted the power, and want it again._

_And again…_

He had made so much progress in not having to yell, to be mean, that this was likely to be detrimental to that. But he needed to save Thomas. He needed to save his family. He had to save Patton.

_So let’s do this._

He had already begun stressing about the plan, and every downfall there was. The room had already seemed a little bleaker. He allowed himself to do what he did best. He worried about the worst case scenario he could do nothing about.

…..

…..

“That was _not_ an amazing success! We are _not_ planning videos from now on, starting with tomorrow’s!”

By the time Deceit came back from impostering him for the first video, all full of glee and optimism, Virgil gotten himself worked into believing that Deceit would win. He was full of worry and fear that the feelings were leaking out of him and into the room. He had even cried at one point in Deceit’s absence when he had convinced himself that his plan wouldn’t work. Virgil had his eyes shut to keep out the image of a gleeful Deceit. He was also concerned any eye contact would tip Deceit off to what he was trying o achieve.

“It’s _not_ because of widddle anxious Virgil.” Virgil could sense Deceit looking around. “Oh Virgil! I _love_ what you have done to the place. It reminds me of the good old times.” Virgil heard the sarcasm and fake familiarity drip from his voice.

He felt the side walk closer to him, felt himself being inspected. What had Deceit expected to find? What had he hoped to find? He kept his eyes tightly shut. Trying to back his very self away from Deceit’s inquiring eyes.

“Anxiety?” he barely heard the whisper. Virgil flinched from the name. It had been not long enough since anyone had called him that.

_Deceit thought he had broken._

“Well this all is going swimmingly!” he heard Deceit clap his hands together. The noise startled him in his heightened state.

“I will be by just after the video tomorrow and we will have a little field trip _if_ you are good.” The small amount of light that had touched his closed eyelids fell away as he heard the click of the lamp.

“Ta- Ta!” and Deceit popped away.

Virgil opened his stinging eyes and looked at the dark spot where Deceit had been. He smiled under his tape. Deceit had bought it.

_He hadn’t broken yet. He had not yet even begun to brake._

_Yet…_

Now was phase two. He had started his plan by allowing himself to worry, fret and agonize over the fact that Deceit would win. And this had made a solid start in growing his panicked power. He had felt the normally warm room drop a degree or two. He had noticed the small light grey fog start to gather about him.

_This was nothing. This was child’s play. Now the real work begins._

He allowed his mind to go to those places he normally barred off. The nooks where Roman’s brave heart kept him from going to. Those dark corners where Logan’s logic had worked to keep at bay. Those places where Patton’s words had helped him build trip wires from sinking too deep into.

He ran to those places now.

_They are better off without me. They will be happy if I stayed away._

The fog around him immediately changed, from grey to a solid black.

_It’s not like I contributed anything any how…_

The fog grew thicker.

_They just want to pacify me, train me to be a good side. A good pet._

The fog started to form tendrils. Reaching for him.

_It’s not like Roman really cares for me, he just wants me off his back so he can create._

A single small wispy tendril with the consistency of tar vapor reached toward an exposed part of ankles.

_I hold Roman back. Roman would better and more able to do what he wanted if I stayed away._

The tendril wrapped around his ankles and bit into him. Drops of blood dripped into his sock. The tendril was now not wispy. It had grown thicker with its meal.

_Logan’s life would be easier if he stayed locked away, he wouldn’t have to talk him down all the time, and would be able to motivate the others easier._

A second tentacle reached from the ever thickening, dripping black fog.

_One less emotional side for him to deal with._

This one reached for his hand and enveloped his arm.

_It’s not like Logan even noticed…_

The tentacle bit, this time its malformed teeth slicing deep into his skin of his arm and hand. The fog grew oppressive around him. Saturated, it had climbed the walls and ceiling. He could feel it dripping from the room. But not quite penetrating the door jam.

Virgil sighed. Time to go all in.

_And Patton…._

He barely even had to think about the side, before a thick black limb enveloped his full face. It lingered, waiting for the fuel that Virgil was so willing to give.

_Patton would be happy if I was gone._

Deep cuts like from claws dug into his cheeks, forehead and chin. The tar-like haze dripped beneath the door.

Suddenly Virgil was brought back to reality by a tug.

He felt the tug stop.

Deceit is up there now.

It must have been morning already and it was time.

He was ready for phase 3.

He concentrated on the swirling feelings around himself. He mentally beckoned them back to their creator. Virgil allowed the goo mist to envelop his whole body. He let the power seep back into his skin.

His eyes went back. More and more of it went into his body. 

His hair turned black. He started to physically swallow the feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt and fear.

And once he had taken in every doubt, panic and fear he could…

He had became stronger. He tried to flex out of the binds that held him. The wooden chair broke underneath him.

_No matter._

He was able to stand, wooden shards dropping around him. He needed to reach his family. He could feel the power inside him, threatening to tear him apart from the inside out. He needed to focus the turmoil.

_The lie on his mouth._

_They have no choice but to listen to me now._

He couldn’t say it out loud of course. But the echoing thought was still true enough that the lie covering his mouth slid to the ground.

He gathered all of the fear together.

He screamed a bellowing roar.

Then Virgil knew no more.


	6. The Unveiling

Patton rose up at the allotted time into the living room. Logan was there already and Thomas was just finishing brushing his hair. Logan had reminded him that morning that they were scheduling videos now. Logan was almost gleeful at the prospect. Patton reflected on yesterday’s events. He wished he could have stayed focused on how the decision got made. It would be silly to ask at this point. But he was here now.

Logan was in front of him looking at the clock, he had arrived 10 minutes before the agreed upon start time. Patton showed up 1 minute before. As the clock ticked to the time, Logan started to tap his foot.

“Should I…remind them?” Thomas asked hesitantly.

Logan gave a curt nod, looking at Virgil’s empty place.

Thomas raised his hands to summon….

About 5 seconds went by. Logan was tapping his foot the whole time.

Roman rose up first, “Sorry, sorry! I got all into a great idea and just wait couldn’t put it down!”

Before anybody could answer they sensed a pop.

“Hey.” Virgil tucked the arms of his sleeves around his hands. He looked around. “Oh… sorry…keeping track of time is trickier then I thought it would be.” He looked down at the ground sheepishly.

“It’s ok Virgil! We are all getting used to this! It will take us all a little adjustment.” Thomas replied, looking pointedly at Logan.

Logan looked defensive, “While I was enthusiastic to start scheduling our videos, if you remember it was Virgil’s idea. I am a little confused as to why…”

“Well we are all here now,” Thomas interrupted, “let’s get started.”

_It was Virgil’s idea?_ Patton thought to himself he re-vowed to watch his friend closely today, even if he missed every darn word everyone else was saying.

He heard Thomas’s tone of voice change into an explanation; _he must be telling us what he wants to tackle today._ Unable and unwilling to focus on the words themselves Patton glanced at Virgil. His face was still that mixture of concept, disgust, and boredom. Patton pressed his lips together. Surly something was wrong, if not Deceit, then something. He had tried yesterday to talk to Virgil, but he had disappeared to his own space to quickly. That wasn’t wholly unusual. But it was less frequent these days.

To keep from outright staring at his friend he let his eyes wander the room.

It was then he noticed it.

First it was around Logan, small tuffs of black smoke played around his arms, curling around almost intelligently. Logan hadn’t noticed yet. Patton glanced at Roman. Little swirls of a black mist lightly caressed his hair. Patton looked down, his hands had seemed to attract a similar fog, curling around his fingers. He suddenly felt very unwell.

“Guys…”he whimpered, everyone looked at him in alarm, “I don’t feel so good…”

Then a soul splitting deep rumbling cry reverberated through their very beings. Patton was knocked to his knees by the force of it, arms around his stomach, trying to hold himself together. He looked up at Logan across from him.

Logan had dropped down, he was curled into himself, on the balls of his feet. He looked like he was protecting himself from something falling on top of him. His biceps were covering his face, his forearms and hands were covering the top of his head and neck. His elbows where together, closing his face off and Patton swore he could hear him moan.

Patton looked to Roman’s direction. Roman wasn’t faring much better, down on one knee, hands over his ears, eyes shut, and he was shaking his head. He seemed to be repeating “No no no no” to himself.

Looking toward Thomas, Patton saw that he had fallen to his side, one arm around his stomach, and one covering his exposed part of his head, neck and ear. Thomas wasn’t making any noise and that was the most troubling to Patton.

Finally settling his gaze to Virgil, all he saw where his legs. He followed those legs up to the still standing being. He was backing away, hands out in a mystified motion. “What is happening?” Patton heard him ask.

_This was you….wasn’t it? _It sure did feel like anxiety. The feelings crashed into him as the bellowing finally seemed to stop. It had to be Virgil. Patton knew who these difficult feelings belonged to. _But, if…_

Looking up at the only one standing in the room, Patton slowly took an arm away from protecting his middle, and out stretched his arm. He pointed at Virgil, standing, slowly backing away from the sight in front of him.

“I spy a Deceit.” Patton choked out the words around the twisting feeling in his abdomen.

Virgil rolled his eyes “I cannot believe it!” he screamed as if he was about to throw a tantrum. He straightened his posture, and slipped into his true from. Deceit stood where Virgil had been a moment ago.

“This was a blast! 10 out of 10, would do again.” Deceit cheerily said, his face was brimming with rage. “I do love a long goodbye.” He sunk out quickly.

Logan was able to regain his standing position before the others, but swayed before steadying himself. “We must go after him.”

Roman was not far behind shaking his head as if to clear the event away “Yes, who knows what he has done to our favorite dark and stormy knight?”

Patton still struggling to stand asked “Where?”

Thomas was on his knees working his way up to standing. “Would he be in his room?” he asked struggling to be upright.

“That would be the most convenient place to look first.” Logan looked thoughtful. “You will have to take us there…”

Patton’s heart sank, “But, we…I don’t think Thomas…its too much…” Patton was finally able to stand, but his knees still felt shaky.

“This is true.” Logan looked contemplative. “What if we start on the outside of his room, and walk in?”

“That way it’s not a shock to our system! Brilliant!” Roman banished his sword.

Thomas finally on his feet, said with as much courage as he could muster, “I think I can do it.” 

Thomas whisked the 4 of them away.


	7. The Second most powerful lie

Deceit had enough of the side known as Anxiety. He had thought of a perfect plan to get Thomas everything he truly wanted and as always Anxiety just got into the way. That was going to stop now.

Deceit popped from the living room, leaving the other Sides still on the floor. He popped directly into Virgil’s room and was greeted with thick black sticky webbing. It was so thick he couldn’t even see beyond it. He tried to reach the lamp next to the door. The webbing caught his glove and nearly took it off. He carefully retracted his hand. He checked the door knob behind him. The knob was clear. He reached toward it, and swung the door open, allowing the weak light from the hall to illuminate some of this dismal room.

“I don’t need much light to do what I need to.” he whispered to himself.

One more lie, his second most powerful lie. Hopefully it will be enough to slow the others down from looking for him.

“T**hey never loved you!**” Deceit screamed at the top of his lungs. _That should stick. _ He heard and very satisfying loud snap, like a cross between a nut shell opening and a rubber band snapping. He tried to peer at his handy work, but the thick cotton-like webbing prevented such an indulgence.

Then he ran, as deep into the subconscious as he could get.


	8. The fallout

Virgil opened his eyes carefully. He felt wiped out from the unleashing of his power. He couldn’t see much, the room had been dark before but it seemed oppressively dark now. He thought he heard a pop of someone arriving. He turned his head cautiously toward the sound. He thought he saw a tiny trickle of light coming though the patchy darkness. He squinted his eyes to try and make out what was there. He thought he heard a voice whisper.

But he knew he heard the scream “**They never loved you!”**

All at once his simi-moveable arms had bound to his body, his sight and hearing had been completely cut off with a loud snap.

_What now? I’m trapped more then I was, I probably hurt all my family, and they will never find me. All that effort and it didn’t even work. Deceit was a part of the group now. It’s not like they ever really cared about me. Deceit will charm them and they will love the new and improved version of me._

His unbidden his thoughts started to come out his mouth.

“They will get hurt. I hurt them. He will hurt them. I’ll get hurt”

He couldn’t even form full thoughts any more as his mind went spun faster.

“They won’t…I can’t…it’s not…. No…no….no….no..” He could feel the room reverberate with the one word repeating. He twisted in on himself, trying to make himself smaller, less of a target…

“No, no… NO NO NO NOOOO”


	9. The undoing

Thomas, Patton, Logan and Roman stood in front of the open door.

“I didn’t expect it to be open.” Roman stepped forward with his sword in front of him. Patton and Logan stood behind him, with Thomas peeking around their shoulders.

“Do you think he is in there?” Patton asked.

Roman stuck his head into the room carefully. “I think so, but you won’t like it.”

Logan stepped in the room next. “Oh! Yes. Patton, why don’t you stay out there…” Before he could finish his sentence Patton barreled into the room.

“Oh no!” the whole room was thick with a dark black webbing. It was less like spider webs and more cotton candy in texture. It was thick and dense and puffy. Like how the machine spins the spun sugar into poufs. He instantly understood.

“Virgil is the cotton candy machine. He is in there.”

Logan shook his head at the non sequitur. “I do believe he is in there, I don’t understand how sweet confections have anything to do it.”

Thomas slipped in behind them “Patton is probably right, Virgil is in here. We just have to get to him”

Suddenly a bust of flame came where Roman was standing. Patton looked over in shock.

“I thought it was a good idea at the time…” Roman shrugged. Much like cotton candy on fire, some of the webbing burnt away around the sword that Roman had brought down thru it.

“That’s a great idea!” Patton cheered. Roman tried again. Straight down, in a flash of red more of the webbing fizzled away.

“Fascinating.” Logan looked at his hands. He studied the texture in front of him, slowly reached out, and touched a single solitary stand. The strand glowed a dark blue and a softball sized puff unraveled. Logan adjusted his glassed and looked impressed with himself. “There is nothing logic can’t tackle.”

“Why don’t you try Patton?” Thomas asked, hugging the doorframe.

Patton looked at his own hands. They did feel…_warm._ He reached out, as bold as Roman, but as careful as Logan. He didn’t even need to touch the puff nearest to him before it started melting away. _Like wet cotton candy!_

He attacked with both hands, a soft blue preceding a hiss of melting.

“Dang Patton!” Roman sounded impressed.

Logan looked a little miffed. Then he gathered himself and unnecessarily readjusted his glasses.

Patton beamed at his family.

In the moment of quiet Patton noticed a small voice coming from the center of the room.

“They won’t…I can’t…it’s not…. No…NO….NO….NO….” The Voice got louder as it went, reverberating around the room. The tangle of webbing seemed to twist in on itself, again toward the center of the room.

“Strategy.” Logan pointed to Roman. “You take the perimeter. Go quickly, now!” Roman nodded, and started hacking with his sword.

“Thomas stays back with me.” Thomas nodded.

Logan turned to Patton. Logan’s voice was almost pleading. “Get to him.”

“Right” Patton reached out with both hands, the thick blue drips of the web creating a gross and sticky carpet as we walked toward the echoing voice.

He finally reached the thickest part of the web; there in the middle of it was Virgil.

Patton gasped at what he saw.

Vigil was wrapped head to toe in webbing. It had grown out of him like a terrible plant. Patton worked quickly to melt it away. Gently gliding his hands over Virgil’s body, not actually touching the trembling side, he melted every bit of black away. It was then after all the webbing had been melted away, he realized that there was something else underneath the webbing.

Everywhere around Virgil’s body there were sickly yellow restraints. The largest one was around his torso and head, but many smaller ones wrapped around his legs and arms. Every part of his body seemed covered, except his mouth. Virgil’s never ending moans coming from that mouth were overwhelming. Patton put his hands to his ears, but that didn’t seem to help. He shook his head trying to clear the sound from his mind. He bent over and lightly touched Virgil’s lips with a single finger.

Virgil stopped. Then, If it was even possible, he curled into a tighter ball on his side.

“Oh buddy we will get you out.” Patton quickly cleared an area around Virgil, to make room for the others.

“Hey guys! I think I need some help!” Patton called once he had cleared the area around Virgil. Roman’s work was nearly finished as well, and he cleared the last of the webbing from around Patton.

Logan and Thomas joined them.

“Oh my ever loving Disney,” Roman gasped “What are those?

Logan crouched down on the balls of his feet, “I am unsure. They seem to be restraints of some kind. Patton, did you try to…”Logan wiggled his fingers in an impression of Patton’s glowing hands.

“No…not yet.” Patton knelt on his knees next to Logan. He reached out a careful finger. Something about them seemed wrong, like he shouldn’t get too close. He tentatively reached to the thinnest of the bands around Virgil’s ankles. He noticed it wasn’t a solid color, but had a small design anointing it.

Just as his finger tip made contact Patton felt a wave of…very NOT GOOD FEELINGS flood him. It felt as if he was getting pulled in and pushed away at the same time. He felt sick, tainted, and electrocuted at the same time.

“Patton? Patton!”

“Patton!”

He felt a hand from behind him shake his shoulder, and he landed on his back.

“Patton, are you ok?”Roman grabbed his hand to pull Patton into a sitting position.

“ya.. I can’t…its…” Patton felt awful. He then felt doubly guilty when he saw he was not able to undo the restraints.

“It’s ok Patton.” Thomas answered. “We can try something else. Maybe Romans sword?”

Roman looked down at his samurai sword with a look of hesitation. “Well, it’s not a scalpel…”

“Wait.”

Everyone looked at Logan. “I doubt that will be effective in not hurting Virgil, but my…power.” Logan seemed reluctant to use the word, “it is very precise.”

Patton nodded. “Go ahead and try. And if it hurts, stop. We will be ready to pull you out.”

Logan gave a curt nod.

“First would we all consent to turning the light on? I must be able to see to do my work properly.” They all nodded in agreement. Roman ran to the light switch and turned on the light above them. The bare bulb flickered a soft yellow light, illuminating the room. Patton saw the edges of the room still had the goopy webbing. He turned his attention back to Virgil. The bands looked worse now as he was able to get a proper look at them.

“That is sufficient.” Logan rubbed his hands together.

First as Logan did with the webs he examined the thinnest of the bonds closely, still crouched on the balls of his feet. Then in a sudden flurry of movement he dropped to his hands and knees. He put his face so close to the particular strap that his nose was almost touching it. He squinted.

Then he finally spoke:

“Patton doesn’t stand a chance.” Still looking at the strap, he explained, “There is writing here. And that’s what it says: ‘Patton doesn’t stand a chance.’ This is clearly a falsehood.” Logan touched the strap around Virgil’s ankle.

As soon as his fingertip made contact with a strap, it evaporated in a puff of yellow smoke.

“Logan! You brave knight! You did it!” Roman punched the air.

“That was only one…” Logan muttered to himself, as he moved on to the next strap up Virgil’s leg.

And one by one, each lie was read aloud, and each one was called out for what it was.

“Falsehood.”

“Falsehood.”

“That’s just ridiculous, falsehood.”

“I’m not even sure that’s technically possible… falsehood.”

“I don’t even understand this one… falsehood.”

“Falsehood. Falsehood. Falsehood.”

There but one left. Patton had been looking at it since the beginning. It was the thickest one.

“This one seems to go around his torso, and then around his face…I don’t want to touch it until I am ready, but I cannot find the lie.” Logan had been crawling around Virgil in an attempt to find the words. “But I don’t want to…” Logan took a deep breath and looked at Virgil with pity “I don’t want to move him, but…”

Thomas, Roman and Patton nodded, they understood.

“How about we all look, and if we don’t find it…” Patton let the sentence hang in the air.

Everyone nodded. Each took a side of Virgil; three on their stomachs looking closely for the lie, and one, Logan crouching looking as well.

Patton took place the front of Virgil, he stared at the bindings around his torso, then up near his face. Then over his eyes, he peaked under Virgil’s bangs, itching to brush them away so he could get a better look… _there!_

“I found it! It’s right where his eyes are. I can’t see what it says though…”

Logan dropped down to his stomach and squirmed next to Patton. Patton scurried out of the way.

Logan got close to Virgil’s face. Patton was sure Virgil could feel a presence, because his whole body tensed up further.

“Hurry Logan…”Patton whispered to himself.

Logan’s nose was nearly touching Virgil’s he quietly read out the commanding lie, “They never loved you.”

Logan huffed. “Clearly a falsehood.” As he reached out to touch the thick band Roman yelled “WAIT!”

But it was too late, as Logan fingertip glanced the tacky band. But rather then puffing in smoke like all the others, it relaxed.

Patton heard Virgil take a deep breath…

Then the band snapped loudly back into place, tighter than before.

Patton heard Virgil gasp, his upper arms pinned back at his sides, but forearms and hands free he attempted to claw at the band. It didn’t do any good. It stayed in place. His legs started to kick.

“You guys…” it was Thomas behind them “That’s full panic mode…”

“NO! I CAN’T! I…” Virgil’s Voice filled the empty room.

Patton moved quickly to Roman, “Why did you say wait? What do we do?”

“Only true loves kiss…” Roman looked wistful in the mists of the chaos. Logan was staring down at his hands betrayed, Thomas was clenching his ears, and poor Virgil was…

“GET IT OFF!”

Virgil was not doing so well. “What do you mean true love’s kiss?” Patton asked impatient.

“It’s not enough to just say it’s not true and be done. You have to prove love.” Roman said it as if everyone knew that.

“Ooohhh!” Patton nodded and grabbed Thomas and Logan, and brought them just a little farther away from the seething Virgil.

“Alright, Roman said we have to tell him we love him.” Patton explained.

“I don’t see how that will do any good, he can’t even hear us.” Logan countered.

“It doesn’t matter if he can hear us or not. But it has to be true.” Roman touched his heart.

Logan looked uncomfortable. He pressed his lips together, and stood very still.

“All of us?” Thomas asked Roman, while eyeing Logan.

“Yes, I believe even you Thomas.” Roman proclaimed confidently.

“Think you can do it?” Patton asked Logan.

Logan seemed to be searching in his huge brain for some other explanation. He signed. Then he seemed to come to a decision. “Yes. If you think it will help Virgil.”

They all clamored back to Virgil, curled on the ground, he seemed to have stopped fighting loudly for now. His breathing was heavy, but short. The band was not making it easy for him.

“One at a time I think….we proclaim, we touch the band, then Logan, you do your thing.” Roman explained. Logan nodded solemnly.

“I love you so so so much!” Patton proclaimed. He gently placed four fingers on the band.

“I love you Virg.” Thomas shyly said, and placed his full hand on the lie.

“This Prince knows love like the stars know the sky. And I know that I love you.” Roman announced. He placed 2 fingers on the band, as he was making a vow.

Logan took a deep breath. Patton saw his warring discomfort and obligation.

“I love you.” It was nary a whisper, but Patton could tell it was heartfelt. “Falsehood.” Logan touched the thick yellow band with one finger. The band didn’t poof like the others, it only became slack.

Patton took in Virgil’s face for the first time in the whole ordeal. Deep gashes crisscrossed his features. He reached out. He couldn’t help it. He ached to make it better. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Roman reach his hand out as well.

Virgil in front of them squinted in the light, his face panic stricken. One of his arms blocking his face from the glare, he shook his head and begun to scoot quickly back. He bumped hard into a dresser. “NO! I HAVE TO.. THEY NEED…” His voice boomed around them. The unexpected noises made Patton put his hands over his ears, and close his eyes. Then he felt Virgil’s body ram past him. Patton opened his eyes just in time to see Virgil get tangled in the still intact lie tangled around his feet. He watched as Virgil started to fall. It seemed like it was in slow motion. They all tried to reach him.

But he fell anyway.


	10. The reunion

Virgil didn’t know how long it had been since he heard the scream from Deceit. He was only aware of the nerve endings that seemed to stretch from him. When he then felt a cut, burn and unraveling of his extended nerves he shrunk away into himself. There was another feeling. A warm melting…that wasn’t as bad. Deaf and blind to the world around him, Virgil attempted to feel as much as he could to anticipate danger. Not that he could do a lot about it.

Everyone talks about how he is the “Embodiment of Thomas’s fight or flight reflex” What they didn’t understand that it was more than two choices.

There was fight. _One of my favorites._

Flight or flee. _To get away, to deflect._

Freeze. _That’s what I am doing right now_

(Be)friend. _It was a strategy that a lot of people seemed confused about._

And Hide. _This is my number one favorite_

Hiding and fighting. Flight if that didn’t work out. Freeze as a last option, and befriend when all else failed him.

Right now he was freezing and attempting to flee. The tight circle of thoughts coming out of his mouth unable to be stopped. Before one thought ended another interrupted, until it was just a denial of the whole situation.

He thought he felt a presence close to him, but he wasn’t sure. He was so closed off. He became panicked. While he couldn’t hear his own voice, he felt it in his chest causing his own body to quake.

It wasn’t until he felt a finger touch his lips did he knew for sure he wasn’t alone any more.

_Not alone. Deceit? The Others? His friends? His friends and Deceit? To destroy him? Didn’t do a good enough job himself. Came to clean up his mess. _

He kept his mouth shut. _Freeze._

It was an eternity before he felt something new. He sensed… something near his ankles. Then he felt a single touch. Then lightning and poison. Not coming from him, but the binding that was around his ankle.

It was way too much time before he felt something again.

This time it was a light touch, precise and cool. Then he felt a release around his ankle.

Then the touches came quickly after that. Each time: cool, precise and a release.

_Someone was taking the bands off._

_Who? How? Was Deceit moving him? Was it his…former friends trying to free him? No, couldn’t be that. It had to be Deceit._

He stayed frozen.

His legs were soon completely unfettered. He could’ve kicked or ran or done something. But he stayed frozen.

_It won’t do any good to flee or fight if I’m still blind and deaf._

It was a long time again before he felt anything else. Then something completely unexpected, not a touch. But a smell. Like a breath, toffee, and warmth. It vanished in a swirl of air. Another breath replaced it. This one steady and even. He could feel the heat of someone in front of his face. He tensed.

_They were so close._

He felt the cool, precise touch again. He felt the band around his torso and face loosen. He took a deep breath.

“WAIT!” He thought he heard someone yell. Then *SNAP* the binding was back in place. Tighter and cutting off his air to his lungs.

_So close!_

_Fight_.

His forearms and hands loose, he started to claw the binding. It didn’t budge; he kicked his legs trying to get purchase on something. Anything was better then what had just happened.

_Can’t get out…I can’t get out…_

“NO! I CAN’T! I…” The words ripped from his vocal cords straight from his panicked brain.

He tried to out muscle the binds around him, tried to rip thru them. But that was fruitless as well.

“GET IT OFF!” his one and only wish, not granted, died in his chest.

He started to cry.

_So close…._

_I’m just going to be like this forever. Deceit has won. Thomas will be alone. All the money in the world won’t’ help him see the danger that comes for him. He will be reckless and hurt himself. I lost. All of my efforts are for nothing. Just wasted energy._

His breaths where heavy but short. He couldn’t get enough air.

Then he felt something…someone touching him…

He felt a wholeness surge from 4 fingers gently placed.

He felt warmth from a whole hand.

He felt 2 fingers, firm and promising.

Then that single cool precise touch…

LIGHT! SOUND!

_Too much!_

Blinking, he saw forms in the brightness, a cacophony of voices, high and alarmed. Arms and hands all reaching out toward him.

_FLEE!_

He backed up quickly, wacked into something hard, almost knocking the breath out of him again. He tried to focus…

  
_FIGHT!_

_ Too many…_

_FLIGHT!_

_WHERE?!?_

He tried to look past the forms, beyond…a door? He was seeing double, but he was sure that was the way out of this room. If only…

_RUN! GET UP! GET PAST! GO! HELP THEM! Help your friends!_

“NO! I HAVE TO... THEY NEED…” he had to get past these things reaching for him. His own booming voice seemed to have temporarily disabled one of them; he rushed past, reaching desperately for the way out.

He felt his head swim, and his body lurch. His feet felt tangled. But he had to _GO_. Then the world seemed to fall.

Or was he falling…

…..

….

Virgil opened his eyes.

_Was that a nightmare? Was it all a dream? Am I dreaming now?_

He felt blankets all around him, his face peeked out and saw a warm light coming thru the window. As he shifted his face, as he felt the deep gashes on his face sting as they touched blankets tucked around his head. He brought a hand up and touched his cheek carefully.

_Not a dream. Wasn’t a dream. _

He sighed. He heard a rustle come from the direction of his feet.

_What was that?!?_

He held his breath, listening, his eyes wide. All he could hear now was his heart beat. He let his breath out, and continued to scan where he was.

There was a night stand near his head, with a glass of water, a bottle of aspirin with a post-it note, and a lamp. He squinted, but his eyes couldn’t focus on the writing yet. He continued to motionlessly look around; the walls had posters on them. Some were music posters, some for plays Thomas had been in, some star charts. His eyes settled on the window.

The warm sunlight seemed to fill him with something. A familiar feeling. Like the last week of summer. A change about to happen, but not a bad change. A good anticipation.

He heard a movement again, quieter this time.

_What?!?!_

He held his breath and closed his eyes to better locate the sound. It had stopped.

_Am I just jumpy? Gee I wonder why genius._

He slowly took a breath, and focused back on the post it on the bottle of aspirin. He squinted.

“Take 2, and drink the whole glass” the note read in tidy handwriting.

_Not bad advice._

He reached a hand out of the blankets. He heard an unexpected creak. He snatched his hand back.

_ There is something in here. It is trying to sneak up on me. It’s going to hurt me._

Freeze?

_Not going to help…_

Flight?

_ How? Where?_

Fight?

_So much energy…_

Hide?

_Ha!_

Friend?

_Do I have another choice?_

_No._

He took a deep breath, and slowly lifted upper body up. It felt like he had left at least half his brain on the pillow, but he was mostly steady. He looked toward the foot of the bed he was in. More posters on the wall, a dresser with knickknacks, a wooden footboard, a pair of glasses with wide eyes…

_Waiiiitt…._

A pair of eyes behind a pair of glasses peeked from just behind the wooden footboard. They could have been Logan’s, but only one person he knew had eyes that could be open that wide and round.

“Patton.” The name croaked out of his mouth.

_That hurt…_

“Hey there kiddo.” A voice muffled came from the eyes that were staring at him, a pair of hands holding on to the footboard.

“You’re ok? How is…” he grimaced, the pain in his throat was too much. He reached his hand to his throat trying to will the soreness away.

“Easy there.” Patton’s knuckles started to turn white gripping on the wood. Wood still covering the bottom of his face Patton glanced toward the bedside table. “There is a glass of water there, and some meds. Logan thought they would help.”

Virgil nodded. He slowly reached back and grabbed the meds, water and left the post it.

He dumped four aspirin into his hand, and finished the glass of water in a gulp.

_Good advice._

Virgil took a deep breath, and felt…not better, but…

_Not as much like hot garbage on a summer day._

_Right._

He looked back over to Patton. He was still peeking over the wood, hands grasping tightly.

_Was he…waiting? For what? An invitation?_

_Oh._

_He IS waiting for an invitation…._

“Do you…want to come… over?” Virgil asked uncertainly.

Patton nodded emphatically. He slowly stood up. He seemed to be trying to restrain himself. Virgil watched him confused.

_He is scared. _

_He is scared of me. They all know what I can do now, if left unchecked. Of course Patton is scared!_

_I’m scared of me…_

“Patton, it’s ok…if you don’t want to…” Virgil started to shift away as Patton sat next to him anyway.

Virgil crossed his legs under himself, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. He noticed then that his hoodie was still on. He tucked his hands into the sleeves in a well-known motion, put his hood up, slowly as to not startle Patton. He still felt vulnerable.

Patton noticed the motions, and nodded to himself. He let his feet dangle over the edge of the bed, not quite touching the floor.

They both sat there for a moment, letting the silence stretch between them.

Virgil watched as Patton stared at his feet.

_I must have hurt them bad. Egh, I can’t do anything right. They won’t understand why….what can I do to fix this?!_

His thoughts started to take an aggressive turn, but maybe because he was exhausted, he took a deep breath…

“I’m sorry” both of their voices had said it in union.

“What? Why are you sorry?” Virgil asked bewildered.

“I thought it was Deceit in that very first video he appeared. But I didn’t want to say anything because if it wasn’t I didn’t want to hurt your feelings!” The sentience burst forth from Patton. He looked at Virgil. “Why are you sorry?”

“Because I hurt you. I was so desperate to warn you all about Deceit, that I nearly destro…”

_Destroyed myself…_

_“_destro…was over dramatic about it.”

_Great save._

He couldn’t tell Patton, not really about what he had done. It would make Patton feel worse.

“Over…dramatic?” Patton eyed Virgil. Virgil tried to read the emotions that where on his face…there wasn’t any threatening…so he was a little lost.

“Over- dramatic?” Patton asked again.

_He hates me._

“You’re saying what you did was OVER dramatic?!?!” Patton was on his feet now. Virgil was taken aback at the fervor that came suddenly from his friend.

“YOUR saying that you were willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING to save the people you…you CARED for? You’re saying that you were willing to…” Patton motioned toward Virgil’s gashed face “do THAT because you were being over dramatic? No. I don’t think so. You didn’t have a choice.”

Patton’s voice had became a whisper. “I didn’t give you a choice.”

Passion returned, startling Virgil, “I’m the one who was being over-dramatic! I wasn’t willing to put a FRIENDSHIP on the line to try and help you. I was too SCEARD of losing you…that I…I almost lost you anyway!”

The fire that had been fueling him seemed to have burnt out. He sat on the bed with a thump. He put his hands on his face.

_He…doesn’t hate me?_

The thought stalled Virgil into dumbness for a moment. He sat motionless. His thoughts where sluggish, trying to keep up with Patton’s rant.

“I don’t understand…” Virgil looked down to his lap.

_Why isn’t he scared of me? Maybe he doesn’t understand? Should I tell him? Everyone will need to know…_

_I’m not the same as I was yesterday._

_He should be scared…_

“You should be scared…” as soon as the words were out of his mouth he realized they hadn’t stayed in his head. He clasped his hands over his mouth.

“Scared of losing you?” Patton looked perplexed.

“Scared of me.” Virgil retreated back, into his hood, inching back until he was against the wall.

“Why? Now I don’t understand…” Patton tear streaked face searching for answers written in Virgil’s face.

“Because of what I did. I don’t think you comprehend what….what I had…what I felt like I had to do to reach you guys…” God, he didn’t want to tell Patton.

_They had a right to know._

“I became…powerful. I pushed myself to influence as far as I could. And I had to do it to keep Thomas from alienating himself, to warn you guys about Deceit. But to reach you….I had to feed into that power. And I knew there was a …risk…of…” the words are trickier now, bathed in the warm sunlight. All the dangers away, what felt then a thousand miles away.

_I was a fool…_

“I knew there was a risk of hurting everyone. But it was a risk I knew I had to take. Or else Deceit would have replaced me, and would have hidden me away, and while Deceit maybe able to mimic me, he doesn’t have…my skills… and Thomas would have…” he took a breath, he wasn’t done yet. Patton had to understand.

“I fed into myself. Allowed all of the things I try to keep at bay to come rushing in. I changed…” he could feel the memory of the intensity that had filled him. How it had felt to finally unleash. “I am different now, because I know what that feels like. Once you go down a road like that, it’s so easy to do it again.”

_And again. And maybe next time for not so noble reasons._

Virgil shrugged, and tucked into his hoodie even deeper. “So, ya. You should be scared of me.”


	11. The End

Patton looked at Virgil’s face. Reading what he could. Virgil had hidden most of his face inside his hood. Virgil looked earnest in his assessment of what he did, and why. Patton searched the wounds on his face for answers. Virgil honestly thought he had changed. And maybe he had. Maybe in ways none of them really knew yet. Patton chewed his cheek. Virgil was much more raw now, that was for sure. _When your greatest nightmare comes true you would be a little spooked too…_ he would be jumpy. Logan had anticipated that.

He remembered what Logan had said. “He is likely in need of space Patton. You cannot just go in for the Hug. He is going to be upset over what happened to him. Do not rush him. Try not to spook him.”

Patton felt so lost. Virgil obviously felt like he had made a mistake. That he had risked too much. How could he explain that he did what he thought was right. Patton looked down toward his feet. _I should be telling myself that. _

“We both feel like we made mistakes. We both feel like we made the wrong decision. If I had been bolder, risked our friendship, you wouldn’t have had to….do what you did.” Patton sighed, looking over to Virgil. Virgil if possible seemed smaller now then he had in the last day or two. _Scared of him? I just want to hug him._

“Can I hug you?” Patton asked. He knew that Logan had warned him against it. But how else can you start healing hurts? Virgil looked up shocked.

“But…I’m…”

“I know.” Patton implored, “I understand what you told me. I know what you think you have become. But I think you maybe aren’t 100% right. You have changed. That part is true. But I think you have changed in other ways too. You know your limits now. You know what it is to embrace the dark parts of yourself. And: I don’t think you liked it.”

A realization flashed across Virgil’s face. He put his head in his hands. “It was the worst I have ever felt.”

“You probably won’t want to feel that way again?”

Virgil let out a breath, “Not unless I have a hell of reason.”

“Well…” Patton opened his arms “Hug?”

Virgil looked at Patton, and smiled a half smile. Patton’s Favorite Smile.

Virgil opened his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments! Check out the next story if your so inclined.


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